To get the most from life, sometimes, you need a little help and that’s where Lifestart Counseling comes in. We’re here to help you gain skills to understand and cope with your emotions.

Often, feelings of despair and anxiety are the result of other underlying issues. Perhaps you’ve recently suffered a loss in your life, and you don’t seem to be able to move on as you had expected. Or maybe, your defenses are simply worn down from stress, work, and life in general.

Whatever the cause, know this: The first step is becoming aware that “something does not feel right”. Next, is reaching out to competent help. You don’t need to do it alone. Lifestart Counseling was created to help families and individuals reclaim their happy, confident selves. Our goal is to guide you through this chapter in your life, and help you find ways to move forward in a positive and beneficial direction.

Our counseling services are available to address a number of concerns, including:

Pregnancy, miscarriage and infant loss – Lifestart Counseling can provide expectant parents with some much-needed support during a changing and emotional time. Am I ready to have a child? What kind of parent will I be? These are all normal and natural concerns and we’re here to help guide you through your pregnancy and prepare for the life-changes you’ll soon be facing. Lifestart Counseling also works with parents who are coping with miscarriages and loss of an infant, and can help you come to terms with your grief and take steps to move forward in a positive direction.

Infertility – Coping with fertility issues is a trying and stressful time and that’s why it’s so important to have a solid support network in place. In addition to the emotional issues involved, infertility also frequently raises physical as well as financial concerns. Lifestart Counseling can help you learn to deal with the range of emotions you may be experiencing, including depression and anxiety while evaluating options, facing disappointments, and working with your partner to maintain a strong and healthy relationship.

Adoption – Adoption can be a joyous and exciting event but it can also take a toll on you and your relationships. There are a number of ways to adopt a child, each with its own set of issues and concerns. Lifestart Counseling can help you stay focused and on track while dealing with the common frustrations and delays that frequently occur during the adoption process. We are also able to assist you with your post-adoption adjustment including attachment issues, developmental delays and issues arising from adoption of special needs children.

Parenting support and education –No one ever said that parenting was easy but that doesn’t mean that you can’t call in some extra support when you need it. The professionals at Lifestart Counseling are trained to help parents deal with a wide variety of challenging situations. In addition to patience and a sense of humor, good parenting requires a range of skills as well as a strong support system to offer some help and reprieve along the way. Lifestart Counseling can be apart of that support system.

Relationship Issues – Even the most loving couples go through periods when arguments keep repeating themselves and couples feel stuck in the relationship. Life events and transitions can create stress in the relationship that often lead to diminished trust, and resentment. Through Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT), you can re-build trust, improve communication and become more resilient as a couple. In other words, you can become happier and more satisfied in your relationship.

New baby adjustments – Having a baby is a monumental milestone in your life but it can (and will) turn your world topsy-turvy in a heartbeat. How do you make the adjustment from being a couple to being new parents? Lifestart Counseling can help. Our professional counselors can provide you with the guidance you need to make life with your new baby a loving and enjoyable experience.

Single parenthood issues – Being a parent is hard enough but being a single parent presents a whole new set of challenges. Lifestart Counselors are dedicated to helping single parents find the best ways to manage the many hats they must wear while maintaining a solid sense of self and raising a balanced and well-adjusted child.

First-time parenting concerns – While we can’t give you the proverbial “parenting manual” that all parents look for, we can provide you with the support you need to face the challenges ahead. Becoming a new parent is an exciting yet frightening event as you truly realize for the first time that there’s someone in this world completely and undeniably dependent upon you for his or her survival. Sleep deprivation, financial strain and non-stop baby care – no wonder so many new parents feel stressed.

Grief –While grief is part of the natural healing process, it’s easy to become lost in your sadness, which can turn your grief into depression. At Lifestart Counseling, we want to help you move through your grief and learn how to reclaim your life. Whether you have suffered a divorce or lost a loved one, Lifestart Counseling can offer you the emotional and mental support you need to begin to heal.

Every day life stressors – Making ends meet, a career change, unexpected illnesses, financial concerns, stressful relationships with family, friends and in-laws are some of the issues we may struggle with on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes, we feel our life is getting out of control, and need an objective listener to find a balance. Lifestart offers individual and group counseling to help find strength and strategies to cope with these stressors and to re-direct your life according to your values and principles.

Mid-life adjustment – Our fast-paced society not only keeps us from smelling the roses, it also allows mid-life to creep up without warning. And while the “mid-life crisis” may sound cliché’, its effects are very real. Learning to cope with the realization that you have officially moved from young adulthood into a more “mature” period of your life can often result in feelings that are difficult to understand. Lifestart Counseling wants to help you get your life back on track. Our trained counselors can teach you valuable coping skills to manage stress and re-evaluate your life plan.